The Roman Renaissance style church was originally built for the Polish community that emigrated to Chicago in the 19th and 20th centuries. Architect Henry Worthmann & J.G. Steinbach Architects were loosely inspired by Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome when designing the twenty-six statues on the roof, the one hundred twenty-five-foot dome, and the elaborate interior. In the 1960s, construction of the Kennedy Expressway resulted in a steep decline in St. Mary’s membership and sped up the building’s deterioration. After the church was closed by the Archdiocese in the late 1980s, Opus Dei took over the building and initiated a large restoration project. The church reopened in 1991. St. Mary of the Angels still stands as one of the largest Catholic churches in Illinois.

The church and the Bucktown neighborhood now attract a wide array of visitors and new parishioners. St. Mary’s remains open from sunrise to sunset for anyone looking to attend spiritual, cultural, social, or educational activities. The church offers scheduled tours, history classes, and a vibrant school with over 300 students in its most recent academic year. St. Mary’s also offers space to the Midtown Cultural Center, an organization that provides cultural and spiritual guidance for boys and men.

A National Fund grant of $250,000 matched with $250,000 raised by the congregation would support urgent roof replacement at St. Mary of the Angels.

Photo by Al Kagan